1988 Piston Cup Season
The 1988 Piston Cup Season is widely said to be the worst, saddest and most tragic season of all time mainly due to the deaths of two popular racers. Don Chapcar, champion in 1982 and 1985, and Tom Landis, who placed 3rd in the 1983 championship, who both died in the 1988 Daniel 500 and Pocono 400. To make the season worse the 1988 Calladega 500 is known for Pinkie and Spike not broadcasting the race due to thinking a racer would die and because Kevin Racingtire crashing into Claude Scruggs causing Kevin to miss a race without replacement as he is part-time (he went rookie a year later in 1989 with Ryan Thunderbolt Jr debuting for the team backup in '89. MIRACULOUSLY Claude didn't miss any races!) and the 1988 Brickyard 400 known for Ernie Gearson bashing HARD into Sammy Smelter causing both to miss one race with Ryan Thunderbolt Jr replacing Ernie while Sammy had no backup. It was also the battle between James Robson,Chick Hicks and The King that made the season so famous. Racers Rust-eze 01 - Sammy Smelter Goodwrench 3 - Dale Earnhardt Sr Tow Cap 4 - Rusty Cornfuel (part time) View Zeen 10 - Ryan Shields (part time) Sponsorless 12 - Brad "Maverick" Gonzalez Oxnard 16 - Thomas Tanrev Nitroade 28 - Andrew Axler Mood Springs 33 - Taylor Bendy (retired after Chapcar died in Daniel 500) Shifty Drug 35 - Kevin Racingtire (part time) Tank Coat 36 - Eugene Carbureski Pepsi 40 - Brian Johnson Dinoco 43 - The King Easy Idle 51 - Ruby "Easy" Oaks (Rookie) Leak Less 52 - Claude Scruggs Fiber Fuel 56 - Brush Curber (part time) Octane Gain 58 - Billy Oilchanger (part time) Vitoline 61 - James Cleanair RPM 64 - Don Chapcar (died in Daniel 500) N20 Cola 68 - Ron Pitcar Gasprin 70 - Floyd Mulvhill Rev N Go 73 - Misti Motorkrass Sidewall Shine 74 - Slide Powers JLP 75 - Cole Speedland Vinyl Toupee 76 - Crusty Rotor Sony Vaio 78 - Alloy Wilson Sponsorless 80 - Billy Ford Shiny Wax 82 - Tom Landis (died in Pocono 400) Revolting 84 - Don Alternators HTB 86 - Chick Hicks Bumper Save 90 - James Robson Sputter Stop 92 - Murray Clutchburn Spare Mint 93 - Ernie Gearson Tuxedo Plumbing 98 - Johnathan Melter Retread 99 - Haul Inngas (part time) Sponsorless 99 - Greg Locke Tach O Mint 101 - Greg Candyman Clutch Aid 121 - Kraig Shiftright Clutch Aid 122 - Klint Shiftright No Stall 123 - Larry Smith Shifty Drug 442 - Harold Axel Race Winners * Nightdona 500 - Andrew Axler * Las Vegas 400 - The King * Texas 350 - Tom Landis * Olympus 500 - James Robson * Carolina's 350 - Billy Ford * Palm Mile 300 - James Robson * BnL 500 - Kraig Siftright * Sidewall Shine 300 - Chick Hicks * New York 400 - Alloy Wilson * Tow Cap 400 - James Cleanair * Memphis 400 - Ruby Oaks * Mood Springs 400 - Greg Locke * Rev N Go 350 - Dale Earnhardt Sr * The King 400 - The King * N20 Cola 400 - James Robson * Pocono 400 - The King * Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400 - Thomas Tanrev * Revolting 400 - Chick Hicks * Brickyard 400 - Eugene Carbureski * Daniel 500 - Alloy Wilson * Michigan 400 - Claude Scruggs * Copper Canyon 400 - The King * Easy Idle 400 - Murray Clutchburn * Calladega 500 - Kraig Shiftright * Leak Less 400 - Mike Yankee * Fei 400 - James Robson * Southern 350 - Chick Hicks * Sputter Stop 400 - Chick Hicks * Spare Mint 400 - Ernie Gearson * Virginia 500 - The King * Los Angeles 500 - Ruby Oaks * Boston 350 - Rusty Cornfuel * Heartland 500 - Larry Smith * Washington 350 - James Robson * Richmond 400 - Billy Ford * Dinoco 400 - The King Top 12 # The King # Chick Hicks # James Robson # Dale Earnhardt Sr # Alloy Wilson # Larry Smith # Kraig Shiftright # Klint Shiftright # Andrew Axler # Ruby Oaks # Billy Ford # Greg Locke Category:Piston Cup Seasons